Navigating the digital domain
I recently tried something different in one of my introductory computer classes. I assigned a group project involving the development of a short digital movie. My curricular goals were for students to gain some hands-on experience using digital devices (cameras and video recorder) and manipulating digital resources (using digital media production software) as opposed to just teaching theory, gain some experience working with each other, and to potentially generate an interest in digital production as many high-paying careers are available in this area. The project itself was a great success. My students learned how to manipulate digital music, photos and video clips using various software packages, and I think had fun doing it (of course only they could tell you if they really had fun).

Wall Street resumes advance
NEW YORK -- Wall Street resumed its advance Friday as investors interpreted a government report of milder inflation as a signal that the Federal Reserve might consider cutting interest rates later this year. The Dow Jones industrial average soared more than 100 points, and posted its fifth straight weekly gain.

Senior spotlight
Safe driving classes
The AARP Driver Safety Program announces classes to be offered in the area during May.Reservations are necessary as the classes tend to fill up quickly and waiting lists are often required. If you have a reservation and discover that you cannot make the class, please call so that someone from the waiting list can be included in the class.

Walk to celebrate Older Americans Month
The St. Johns County Council on Aging and the St. Johns County Health Department welcome all residents to participate in the Lake Walk event that recognizes Older Americans Month: "Making Choices for a Healthier Future." The walk will be held from 10 to 10:45 a.m. May 21.

Paris comes to COA volunteers
Kay Green, manager of volunteer services for the St. Johns County Council on Aging, couldn't take the more than 500 members of her volunteer force to Paris, so she brought Paris -- and the Eiffel Tower -- to them.

Neighbors: Remembering Fiddler's Green
This is our first article in a four-part series on the closing of Fiddlers' Green Restaurant, which served its last meal Saturday evening. We had a chance to interview several of the local "regulars" and you will be interested to know their thoughts on the closing and their favorite dishes from Fiddlers'.

Book Mobile Schedule
The following is the schedule for the St. Johns County Public Library System's book mobile for the week of May 14.

Social Security Q&A
Q: My neighbor recently retired, only to learn that some of her earnings hadn't been recorded properly. She eventually got everything straightened out, but what can I do now to make sure this doesn't happen to me when I'm ready to retire in 10 years?

'Daemon Hall' a thrilling read for young adults
When famous horror writer Ian Tremblin -- "King of Teen Scream" -- writes a letter promising five high school writers that he'd publish the best of their stories if they read them at night in Daemon Hall, all five ponder the question, "Is a contest worth dying for?"

Mamma Mia!
Inspired by the story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs, writer Catherine Johnson's sunny, funny tale of family and friendship unfolds on a Greek island in Mamma Mia!

Get on stage at open mic night
On May 17, Colleen Murphy celebrates 10 years of open mic Thursday nights at the Trade Winds, the oldest lounge in the oldest city.

Upcoming events
Inspired by the story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs, writer Catherine Johnson's sunny, funny tale of family and friendship unfolds on a Greek island in Mamma Mia!

See Silver Springs
Head to Silver Springs to view the beautifully maintained garden setting near Ocala. The 350-acre park has rides and attractions that bring you closer to natural beauty than motion sickness.

Go & Do
TODAY
Film: "Volver," a drama about three generations of women staring Penelope Cruz, will play at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship at Florida Avenue and A1A South. Call 471-4539 for details.

Greek food and dancing
Get your tickets early, because the hottest Greek event in St. Augustine is always a sell-out, and is only one week away.

Exhibits and classes
Artwork
Caribbean Touch Art Gallery, 210 St. George St., downtown, is new to the area. Art from Haiti and the Dominican Republic is on view, as well as handi-crafts, paintings and other items. Call the gallery at 826-0755.

Classical music online
WHO: Florida International Festival (FIF), a major music festival held in the Daytona Beach area, and featuring the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO)

'Steel Magnolias' a revelation
he consummate professionalism and artistry on stage in "Steel Magnolias," currently at the Limelight through May 27, are what make theatre so profound and moving an experience. If you're thinking of allowing this one to pass because you're somewhat familiar with the basic plotline, you'd be committing a grievous error. This is an absolute "Must-See." And you'd better hurry -- word-of-mouth raves could quickly sell out every available seat. On Saturdays over the course of 18 months, six southern women -- the regulars -- gather in the local beauty parlor converted from the family garage, to have their hair done and to talk -- about their families, feelings, pasts, futures, hopes, dreams, disappointments ... and tragedies.

Wine, live music and motorcycles
Bartram Trail Library events
May 12: A Friends of the Library book sale will be from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Bartram Trail Branch Library, 60 Davis Pond Blvd., Fruit Cove. Call 827-6960.

Caribbean sounds
May 22: The Caribbean Sound Steel Pan Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. at Ponte Vedra Beach Library, 101 Library Blvd, from A1A North, Ponte Vedra Beach. Admission is free. The concert is part of the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Library music series. Call 285-5307.

Visit Wonderland
Local theater students will be on stage as characters from the storybook classic "Alice in Wonderland" as the St. Augustine Academy of Performing Arts presents its summer program.

Dinner show,arts and crafts
Cabaret dinner show
May 25-Labor Day weekend: "The Cabaret at St. Augustine," a dinner theater, will open at the St. Augustine Community School of Performing Arts, 110 Masters Drive, St. Augustine. Written by Patrick Hughes, "Spirits in St. Augustine" introduces the audience to many personalities that helped shape the history of the Old City. Dinner will be catered by Arthur Glaser, the Crab Cake King. For tickets and show times, call 824-0064.

Take the 'Spiderman 3' quiz
1. What reward will you receive for seeing "Spider-Man 3," the latest and best of the franchise, on the six-story-high IMAX screen at World Golf Village -- all 2 hours and 19 minutes of it?

Fine wine & gourmet food
Enjoy various wines and foods as The Joyful Cork announces the St. Augustine Food & Wine Fest on Saturday, May 19 at the Winn-Dixie shopping center near Checkers, 1010 S. Ponce de Leon Blvd., St. Augustine.

Life in a nutshell: Just one more worry
Great. Just Great. Leave it to the news media to go out and cover a story that never, ever, in any form should have been covered. Sometimes it just takes a little self-control and public decency. It takes knowing that you shouldn't do it because you will scare the ear wax out of people the minute you apply the ink to the newsprint.

Tim Gunn the man with the style plan
Tim Gunn, the style guru best known these days as the fashion designers' mentor on TV's "Project Runway", teaches women how to make their wardrobes work in his new book, "Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style" (Abrams Image, $17.95). It hit shelves everywhere Tuesday.

Hair care tips for long hair
If you have long hair, here are some tips for maintaining and protecting it, from products to styling tools:
In the ends
The longer your hair, the longer the ends have been around. Even with frequent trims, they're subjected to environmental and styling damage. Always use a leave-in conditioner on the tips and, at least once a week, a hair-repair mask to restore moisture.

Natural meadow community always changes, grows
May 5, the St. Augustine Shores Wildflower Meadow and the Shores Oak Canopy was a place to discover small things. While about 16 people explored the Oak Canopy with Beverly Fleming and Billy Zeits, the County Naturalists, those of us who stayed behind found treasures at the meadow.

SHADY SANCTUARY
Nadine and Jack Connahey live in a two-story home with a great view of the Intracoastal Waterway and its abundant bird life.

Garden Q&A
Q. There are light colored serpentine lines on some of my tomato leaves. What causes this?

Tips on lawn care
Many lawns are having problems again this year due to the dryness of the spring. There are practices that you can employ to help your lawn during dry periods. Employing some of the following ideas will probably help you to maintain better lawn quality until rainfall increases.

Tip of the week
Look out for chinch bugs
If you had chinch bug damage in your St. Augustine grass last year, check for browned areas in the lawn, advises the St. Johns County Extension Service.

Cheney disputes Tenet's account on Iraq war
WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney Thursday rejected former CIA director George Tenet's assertion that the Bush administration did not engage in serious debate before invading Iraq in 2003, escalating a public conflict over what happened during the run-up to the war.

No doubt Iraqi cleric is in Iran
WASHINGTON -- The United States knows for certain that radical Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is still living next door in Iran, a senior State Department official said Friday, disputing aides to the anti-American religious and political leader.

Experts: Gas boycotts won't work
FRESNO, Calif. -- Gas boycott e-mails show up every year about this time, saying things like, "Don't buy gas on May 15, and big oil will take a $2.2 billion hit" or "Don't buy one brand for the rest of the year and the company will drop its prices, forcing others to do the same."

6 Fort Dix plot suspects ordered held without bail
CAMDEN, N.J. -- Before a packed gallery at the U.S. Courthouse in Camden Friday, a magistrate judge ordered six men charged with plotting to murder Fort Dix soldiers to be held without bail. Afterward, their lawyers said they would plead not guilty.

More troops sought in Iraq
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. commander in northern Iraq said Friday he doesn't have enough troops for the mission in increasingly violent Diyala province.

NATIONAL REPORT
Suspected looters make first court appearance
MULLINVILLE, Kan. -- Nine suspected looters faced a judge and heard the formal charges against them Wednesday in a tiny, makeshift courtroom about 20 miles from a town destroyed by the worst tornado to hit the country this century.

Work on 9th Ward green project begins
NEW ORLEANS -- With a brass band accompaniment, developers in this city's devastated Lower 9th Ward celebrated the start of construction Thursday on an environmentally friendly new home, based on the winning design in a competition started by Brad Pitt.

H&R Block sets record with 19.9M tax clients
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- H&R Block Inc. said Thursday it served a record 19.9 million tax clients in the recently ended filing season, thanks primarily to a 16 percent increase in online traffic.

Deputy: 'I'm the grim reaper'
Sheriff's Deputy Mike Strickland is a postman of bad news, delivering eviction notices in the western stretch of San Bernardino County, Calif.

Cabs getting touch-screen monitors
NEW YORK -- The Taxi and Limousine Commission approved a plan Thursday to install touch-screen monitors in all 13,000 city cabs that will allow riders to pay by credit card, check on news stories, map out where the cab is going and find information about eateries and bars.

House OKs bill installments
WASHINGTON -- In a bid to pressure Iraq's government and President Bush, the House of Representatives voted Thursday to release only about half the $96 billion that Bush requested for the military through September, holding back the rest unless Iraq meets goals by mid-July for a fair political system and an end to factional violence.

Farmers rush to fill demand for corn
MINNEAPOLIS -- Nationally, farmers are planting 15 percent more corn than a year ago, a total of 90.5 million acres, the most since the end of World War II.

Toxic candy continues to be sold
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Nearly three years after the candy giant Mars Inc. said it stopped producing a line of Mexican candies because of dangerously high lead levels, the products are still available in California and still contaminated.

Republicans defend Gonzales
WASHINGTON -- House Republicans rallied around embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Thursday during intense questioning by Democrats, even as new revelations emerged about attempts to fire U.S. attorneys singled out for criticism by White House political adviser Karl Rove.

Events mark Jamestown's anniversary
JAMESTOWN, Va. -- People lined up for more than an hour to buy the first of the new postage stamps recognizing America's first permanent English settlement as the weekend marking the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's founding kicked off Friday.

Corrections
County won every case -- A Page One story Tuesday about the purchase of the Cafe Erotica property incorrectly stated that cafe owner Asher Sullivan sued St. Johns County over its nudity ordinance in 1992 and won. The case was won by the county at every juncture.

Police Report: Pedestrian struck
Pedestrian struck: A pedestrian struck by a vehicle Wednesday evening is in critical condition at Shands Hospital Jacksonville, according to the St. Augustine Police Department.

Storm no help with fires
Firefighters continued battling major wildfires in the north Florida-south Georgia area as winds picked up and little rain fell from a subtropical storm Thursday.

Plane people
Nobody's naming names, but there's no doubt lots of people, a.k.a. celebrities, are flying into the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Airport this weekend for The Players Championship.

Weathering beach erosion
The aggressive surf from subtropical storm Andrea that tore away beachfront yards in South Ponte Vedra Beach and unearthed abutments on the St. Augustine Beach pier had a worse affect than that of a typical hurricane.

Police report
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD):

Rubio unveils property tax plan
TALLAHASSEE -- Lawmakers are considering a new approach to property tax relief that would offer large exemptions for residential and business real estate alike and cut the average homeowner's tax bill in half, House Speaker Marco Rubio said Friday.

Tournament brings in the big money
PONTE VEDRA BEACH--The Players Championship's $9 million purse might sound like a lot of money, but it's pocket change compared to the impact this week's tournament will have on Northeast Florida.

William T. Mars
William T. Mars, 87, of Birmingham, Ala., passed away on Tuesday, May 1, 2007.Mr. Mars served in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1945 in the North Atlantic. He was a graduate of Texas Christian University and served as a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst and Young for 30 years. He was a CPA /partner with the firm Mars and Kubina and owner of the firm, Mars CPA. He was a member of the Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Mr. Mars served as president of the Mobile Alabama Mental Health Center Board, was chairman of the advisory board of the Salvation Army and was on the board of the Mobile Opera Guild. He was also a member of the Mobile Rock and Gem Society.

Elease Hodge Palmer
Elease Hodge Palmer, 86, of St. Augustine, died May 9, 2007, at Ponce de Leon Care Center. Mrs. Palmer was a native of Coffee County, Ga., and had resided in St. Augustine since 1967. Mrs. Palmer was a homemaker.

Edward J. Chiginsky
Edward J. Chiginsky, 82, of St. Augustine, died April 20, 2007, at his home, Mr. Chiginsky was a native of Mahany City, Pa., and had resided in St. Augustine since 1964. Mr. Chiginsky served his country in the U.S. Army from 1943-1948. He was a member of the American Legion Post No. 37 and was a retired grounds Keeper.

Robert Garrett Loging
Robert Garrett Loging, 56, of St. Augustine, died May 9, 2007, at his home. Mr. Loging was a native of Wisconsin and had resided in St. Augustine for the past 40 years. Mr. Loging was a heavy equipment operator for St. Johns County and had also worked for the State of Florida and he served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

William E. Morgan
William E Morgan, 75, of St. Augustine, passed away May 8, 2007, at home. He was born in Houston, Texas, the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Morgan. The husband of the late Janet Powers Morgan. He has resided in St. Augustine for the past 14 years. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla.

Sarah Loughlin
Sarah Loughlin, 48, of St. Augustine, died April 19, 2007, at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Fla. Ms. Loughlin was a former resident of Tampa before moving to St. Augustine.

State lawmakers
Contact information is provided for Gov. Charlie Crist and memebers of the St. Johns County Legislative Delegation. The addresses for the delegation members are their district offices. They return to Tallahassee for a special session on June 12.

Letter: Bush, Cheney lied about war and weapons
Editor: Both President Bush and Vice President Cheney have tried to cover lies to the point that, if they were normal people, they would be in prison. This Iraq war is a problem and another is weapons of mass deception.

Perspective: The pleasures of perfect cadence
Flowering crabapples are in full purple bloom on both sides of our house. It feels as if we're a ballroom and soon a crowd of teenagers in strapless gowns and white tuxes will come and stand around, as they do at proms, girls with girls and boys with boys, being elaborately cool and hoping somebody notices. I saw a prom crowd last Saturday night, all of them looking good except one boy in a tux who had decided to wear a white long-billed cap, evidently to set himself apart as an independent thinker. He had no date. He kept sidling up near people who then edged away from him. You could almost see wavy stink lines emanating from him.

Christians plan summit modeled on Lausanne Congress
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- Conservative Christians are planning a world evangelism summit modeled on the 1974 Lausanne Congress that at the time was considered the widest-ranging meeting of Christians ever held.

Society chief returns to Catholic Church
DALLAS (AP) -- The head of the Evangelical Theological Society has returned to the Roman Catholic Church and, as a result, has stepped down from his post with the evangelical group.

Oratorical festival is Saturday
Archimandrite Nicholas T. Graff, vicar of North Florida and executive director of St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine invites the public to attend the Metropolis of Atlanta 2007 Oratorical Festival beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Presbyterian Church, 32 Sevilla St.

Archbishop stands fast in fight against 'evil'
ST. LOUIS -- Just as St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke was holding a news conference last month to announce his resignation from the board of the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center Foundation, his video statement was being posted on the archdiocese's Web site.

'Motherhood' to be Sunday UU topic
"The Many Paths to Motherhood" by Rev. Mike Tipton is the topic for the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship on Friday, 10:30 a.m.Tipton, through story, verse and song, will take a fun approach, yet serious look, at this thing we call mother-hood. "I believe, and will try to prove that there is far more to this word than meets the eye, yet I also believe you may find some aspects of motherhood shared by all women, mothers or not," says Tipton. This service may also be a bit interactive; be prepared to relate a Mother's Day story yourself.

Vatican clarifies pope's words on pro-choice lawmakers
SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Pope Benedict XVI caused such a stir with his comments on the excommunication of lawmakers who vote in favor of legalizing abortion that the Vatican released a transcript Thursday changing what he said.

North Carolina may allow witnesses to take oaths on Quran
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The issue of allowing court witnesses and others who take oaths to use a holy text other than the King James version of the Bible may be decided in upcoming days after arguments heard Tuesday in Wake Superior Court.

Perspective: Open door policy difficult with threat of terrorists
The duty of loving a stranger is stressed 36 times in scripture and is placed on the same level as the duty of kindness to, and protection of, the widow and the orphan. The alien was to be protected, although he was not a member of one's family, clan, religious community, or people; simply because he was a human being. 'In the alien, therefore, Man discovered the idea of humanity' (Hermann Cohen).

Two Marsh Creek residents witness mission's needs firsthand
What started with a shoebox, full of Christmas goodies to be delivered to a needy child in India in December 2005, led to a recent visit with that child and dozens of other orphaned children, by Marsh Creek residents Sharon and Tim Haszard.

New PDA becomes a fan's best friend on the course
PONTE VEDRA BEACH -- Fans can be settled into their favorite shady spot at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, watching some of the world's best golfers go to work, and from two holes away, hear a loud roar.

Earnhardt to leave DEI after season
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. will leave the company founded by his late father at the end of the year in a shake-up certain to ignite a bidding war for NASCAR's most popular driver.

Lee shoots 68 to maintain Michelob lead
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Sarah Lee shook off some pre-round nerves and avoided the mistakes that plagued most everyone else Friday, shooting a bogey-free, 3-under 68 to take a two-shot lead over Becky Morgan halfway through the Michelob Ultra Open.

Griffey hits homer No. 569
CINCINNATI -- Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 569th career homer Thursday, a two-run shot that tied him for ninth place on the career list and helped the Cincinnati Reds get a breakthrough 9-5 victory over the Houston Astros.

Nash unanimous pick on All-NBA team
NEW YORK (AP) -- Steve Nash was a unanimous selection to the All-NBA team Thursday and was joined by Phoenix Suns teammate Amare Stoudemire on a squad made up entirely of Western Conference players.

NL: Braves beat Pirates; Mets win
NEW YORK -- David Wright, Carlos Delgado and Damion Easley homered, helping the New York Mets to a 5-4 victory over Milwaukee on Friday night that snapped the Brewers' six-game winning streak.

Nadal matches McEnroe's record
ROME -- Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-3 on Friday in the Rome Masters for his 75th consecutive win on clay, matching John McEnroe's streak for most victories on one surface. McEnroe, who watched Nadal's latest win from a courtside seat, had a 75-match winning streak on indoor carpet between September 1983 and April 1985.

Derby winner Street Sense looks tough in Preakness
After watching Street Sense slingshot his way to victory in the Kentucky Derby, James Tafel is one confident owner. He's also cautious heading into the Preakness, knowing full well the pitfalls that lie between success and failure.

Ricky Williams tests positive for marijuana
MIAMI -- Former NFL rushing champion Ricky Williams tested positive again for marijuana last month, which will delay his return to the league until at least September, a person familiar with the case said Friday.

Boy, 10, found guilty of beating homeless man
DAYTONA BEACH -- A 10-year-old boy was found guilty Thursday in the beating of a homeless Army veteran that left the man so severely injured he had to undergo reconstructive surgery.

State strengthens water restrictions as drought worsens
WEST PALM BEACH -- South Florida residents and golf courses were placed under the region's most severe water restrictions on record Thursday, as officials try to cut use by up to 45 percent to offset unprecedented drought conditions.

World report
Brown launches bid for British prime minister office
LONDON -- Gordon Brown signaled a shift in policy in Iraq and a new vision for Britain as he launched his campaign Friday to become the country's next prime minister. Appearing before supporters only hours after Prime Minister Tony Blair formally endorsed his candidacy, Brown laid out a platform that promised to be both compassionate and tough. "I will listen, and I will learn. I will strive to meet people's aspirations," Brown said.

Blair sets departure date
LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair, the most successful politician in the Labor Party's history, has announced that he will resign on June 27.

Iraqi lawmakers support U.S. troops' timetable
BAGHDAD -- Supporters of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Thursday that they'd gathered enough support in Iraq's parliament to pass a bill requiring a timetable for U.S. forces to pull out.

Standoff ends at Russian Embassy
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- A 20-year-old Kazakhstan native turned himself over to police on Friday, ending a three-hour standoff and safely releasing a man he had been holding at the Russian Embassy in Costa Rica, authorities said.

WORLD REPORT
U.S. files charges against detainee
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The United States filed charges of conspiracy and providing support for terrorism Thursday against a Guantanamo detainee accused of working as a driver and bodyguard for Osama bin Laden.

Cheney to Iran: U.S. will keep the sea lanes open
ABOARD USS JOHN C. STENNIS -- From an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, Vice President Dick Cheney warned Iran on Friday the U.S. and its allies will keep it from restricting sea traffic as well as from developing nuclear weapons.

Mickey Mouse lookalike back on Hamas TV
JERUSALEM -- A weekly children's show on a Hamas-run TV station featuring a Mickey Mouse lookalike preaching Islamic domination was broadcast as usual Friday, two days after the Palestinian information minister said it would be suspended immediately.